ILO Vision onGender Equality
This website is managed by the Bureau for Gender Equality, which is part of the
Geneva-based Secretariat of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The ILO considers gender equality a key element of its vision
of Decent Work for All toward social and institutional
change to bring about equity and growth. Gender equality, along with development,
has been identified by the ILO as a cross-cutting issue of the strategic objectives of its global agenda of Decent Work.

The ILO's two-pronged approach to gender equality is to mainstream gender concerns in all its policies and programmes. This includes
gender-specific interventions, based on gender analysis, which may target only
women or only men, or women and men together.

ILO Bureau forGender Equality
The Bureau for Gender Equality, which reports directly to the
Director-General of the ILO, is the Organization's central gender unit. Its
mandate is to promote equality between women and men throughout the organization.
The Bureau acts as advisor, catalyst, advocate and communicator for mainstreaming a
gender perspective in all ILO policies, programmes and activities. This includes
supporting and coordinating implementation of the ILO's Action Plan on Gender Equality and Mainstreaming which also encompasses the
first Office-wide Gender Audit, managed by the Bureau.

The Bureau's roles and responsibilities include facilitating the establishment of
institutional mechanisms for incorporating a gender perspective through the
Office's sectors, departments, programmes and field offices as they plan,
implement, monitor and evaluate their work.

The Bureau for Gender Equality advocates ILO policies, instruments, work and
activities on gender and gender equality. It disseminates information about gender
issues in the world of work to ILO staff, constituents, and the international
community. It acts as liaison in relations concerning gender issues with the UN
system, NGOs, and academic and women's organizations. In addition, the Bureau acts
as liaison with the ILO Governing Body concerning gender issues within the
organization.